I know Chuck Hagel is very likely to be confirmed as Secretary of Defense, because the Democrats have 55 votes in the Senate. But this is just painful to watch from Hagel’s disastrous confirmation hearing today. Even the strongest Obama apologists have to be shaking their heads at this performance.

In this clip, it is Hagel trying to explain a vote against regarding Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a “Terrorist” group, and in the process calling Iran an “elected, legitimate” Government.

He later walked it back after being spoon-fed the need to do it by Democrat Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand:

Later in the day, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was not willing to say whether Iran is an “elected, legitimate” Government: